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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:15 pm
Who: Cesc and Zuri When: March 2014, late afternoon Where: Gambino Spring Carnival! Weather: Mid-sixties, partly cloudy ----     
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 5:55 pm
In the slanting late-afternoon sunlight, the carnival made a remarkable impression -- the orange rays combined with the brilliant colors of rides made for a rather impressive sight. Zurine had never been to one of these, and as they approached, she couldn't help making a soft, birdlike sound of delight, looking up at everything with her dark eyes gone round with glee. She had spent all day excited about this, and had never been able to get back to sleep in the morning after she had texted Cesc -- ordinarily, she napped a bit in the late morning, but she had been almost vibrating with excitement, and spent most of the day fussing over her wardrobe and poring over hairstyles on the computer. (That had not been a hardship; it was one of her favorite pastimes.)
She floated beside him now, loosely draped in a soft grey cardigan and a short, ruffly white dress, with her hair pinned up in a braided crown. "I have never," she said with relish, "been to one of these before. This is the most exciting thing to happen all week. Everything smells -delicious-!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:09 pm
"Not everything" amended Cesc, sliding a look at a row of trash cans as he floated by, his wings pressed against his back. He wore a royal blue sweater with navy sleeves, and the wind added some curl to his hair by tousling it about. He had been to the carnival before, most notably with Ren, but this was different. He took more pleasure in how tremendously excited Zuri seemed to be, every moment just as vibrant as she ever was, the orange light adding warmth to her skin.
Sounds mixed, the tune of the carousel mixing with the low (and sometimes not so low) ever-present mixture of conversations all around. Teens teased each other, children laughed and whined and cried, lovers made their ways through the crowd. Booths of games all had their own soundtracks, and it all mixed in a strangely-pleasant cacophony.
Funnel cakes and popcorn lined just by the entrance.
"Those things," laughed Cesc, pointing the cakes out, "are good for exactly one bite."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:12 pm
Peering around him at the booth that was selling the funnel cake, she sniffed and lit up with interest. "Well, at least they're good for that much... they smell delicious. That's a really ridiculous line for them, though," she noted with a little laugh.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:13 pm
"It's mostly the smell," assured Cesc with a laugh. "That's how they draw you in."
He smiled and continued down the pathway. A smoothie booth was next, fresh fruits hanging off the awnings, a big chalkboard sign with the freshest wares scripted across it hung just beyond.
"Do you want to try anything? A nibble?" He asked. He turned his head toward her, his grin softening at her profile. He allowed himself to look at the details, her elegant clothes and posture and hairstyle. It made him, for some reason, strangely proud.
"You look great tonight, by the way," he said.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:15 pm
She looked up at him, her eyes widening, and her cheeks colored a little, creeping up softly. A smile curved her lips as she looked away, unable to help the way her heart thumped with warmth. "Thank you," Zuri responded softly, fussing with the sleeve of her sweater. "It's fun, dressing up sometimes..." She wasn't going to admit how long it had taken her to figure out the hairstyle, but her wings fluffed with pride.
"I want to try one of those smoothie things," she said after a moment. "They're cold, so that'd be a good thing to try first, right? And I love sweets...!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:34 pm
"You love sweets!" Repeated Cesc with a smile. "Well then we'll get you something sweet. These should be okay - fresh ingredients, lots of ice… shouldn't be too bad for you."
He slowed and parked himself at the end of the line. "Let's see. They've got some exciting stuff. Mango, passion fruit, pineapple? I like that combo. Carrot and peach combo? Berry berry blast? Coconut craze?" He began to read the flavors off the board.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:35 pm
"Well, I -think- I like sweets, anyway," Zuri amended, floating to park beside him as she looked up at the board with the smoothie recipes, chewing on her lower lip a little bit.
"I had a, a thing from the gas station once. This is probably better for me than that was... How about the first one? If you like that one, at least you'll be able to finish it if I can't. If you want to, of course."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:36 pm
"Okay, that sounds good," said Cesc with a nod. As the line trimmed and they neared the front of the line, the little stand's wares came more into view. There were lots of fresh fruits lined up in rows, along with juicers and fridges and a line of four blenders. There was also a small freezer up front and a placard showing a few popsicle flavors.
The night wasn't so warm that people were clamoring for popsicles, but somehow Cesc didn't think that was going to be an issue. He grinned over at Zuri momentarily, and then stepped up to the register.
The woman behind it looked up and then did a double-take as she saw the duo, blinking rapidly as she stared flatly at them. Another second and she collected herself, coloring for having stared.
"C-can I take your order?" She asked.
"Hi, yeah. I'll have a medium Tropical Breeze -- and that coconut hibiscus flavored popsicle."
The girl smiled, the expression a touch sheepish, as she began to punch in the order. "That -- the popsicle is super good, I think you'll, uh, like it a lot."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:37 pm
Zuri couldn't help it -- it always struck her as hilarious when someone noticed that she was not quite human, at least recently, with the dresses she had bought making it a little easier to pass despite her not-human skintone. She giggled a little bit, then bit her lip, trying not to be rude, but merriment twinkled in her eyes as she tried her best to wrestle down her laughter, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment, her cheeks puffed out slightly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:37 pm
Cesc, with his work at the bakery, was used to the stares -- he waited for the woman's moment to pass with a patient smile, then held out his hand with a few bills. 'Don't worry about it,' his smile seemed to say.
The woman punched in the order at the register, happy that the blender drowned out any possible conversation.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Rhedefre, taking the smoothie and the popsicle. "Thanks so much."
As he turned away, he offered the two to Zurine. "Which one you want to try?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:38 pm
She couldn't help laughing as she held out her hand for the smoothie. "This first, please. Sorry, I am -- a little useless sometimes," Zuri said, through her giggles as they floated out of the way of the remainder of the line.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:39 pm
"A little useless? How's that?" asked Cesc, unwrapping the soft plastic cover from his popsicle and putting into one of many trash cans they floated by.
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:40 pm
"Laughing instead of actually talking to that poor cashier," Zuri said, looking down to investigate the contents of her cup with a keen eye before sipping at it delicately. She tasted it thoughtfully, brightening. "Oooh. This is really, really good..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:41 pm
"It's alright, I'm sure she'll recover," laughed Cesc with a mild shrug. He looked behind him, at where the cashier was busy helping a mother and her preteen child. "See, there you go."
He looked back over at Zurine, his expression brightening. "You like it?"
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